The E-Gel® Imager is a compact, affordable, easy-to-use imaging system for stained gels and WesternDot® 625 probe–stained western blots. Equipped with a high-resolution digital camera, the E-Gel® system can be used to image gels incorporating fluorescent stains (e.g., ethidium bromide and SYBR® stains) or colorimetric stains (Coomassie™ and silver stains). Additionally, you can image western blots detected with the WesternDot® 625 detection kit reagents, avoiding the need for film processing. Setup is simple, and the system features intuitive software for band analysis.

High-quality imaging from a variety of gel types

The E-Gel® Imager is designed for the documentation and densitometric analysis of stained nucleic acids and proteins in agarose and polyacrylamide gels, including E-Gel® agarose gels and Novex® NuPAGE® acrylamide gels. In addition, the E-Gel® Imager may be used to image western blots that have been probed with WesternDot® 625 secondary antibodies.

Each E-Gel® Imager includes a camera hood and your choice of interchangeable bases:

Blue Light Base—ideal for DNA stains such as SYBR® Safe stain and SYBR® Green stain, as well as for E-Gel® EX agarose gels

UV Light Base—best for ethidium bromide–stained gels

E-Gel® Adaptor Base—use with the E-Gel® Go!™ System or E-Gel® iBase™/E-Gel® Safe Imager System for real-time monitoring of gel progress

You may use either the Blue Light Base or the UV Light Base to image stained protein gels (including SimplyBlue™ Safe, SilverQuest™ Silver, SYPRO® Ruby, and Coomassie™ blue stains) by using the E-Gel® Imager White-Light Conversion Screen

Filter choice for optimum signal capture

Your choice of three interchangeable filters allows even greater flexibility to capture images from various stains—the orange “universal” filter; a green filter optimal for SYBR® Green and SYBR® Safe stains and for E-Gel® EX agarose gels; and an optional red filter for higher resolution when using Molecular Probes® Qdot® 625 probes.

Every E-Gel® Imager camera hood comes with a pre-installed orange (universal) filter. Users may remove the orange filter and replace with either a green or red filter, depending on the stain used.

Protein gels with stains such as SYPRO® Ruby may be visualized on the E-Gel® Imager System with the UV Light Base.

For higher-resolution imaging results, the E-Gel® Imager Qdot® 625 Filter may be used for imaging western blots probed with Qdot® probes, such as WesternDot® 625 secondary antibodies with VIVID® technology.

E-Gel® Imager Software

The GelQuant™ Express Analysis Software and GelCapture™ Acquisition Software applications integrate seamlessly with the E-Gel® Imager System to provide you with all the applications, functions, and tools for analyzing captured images and data, including densitometric analysis (based on a standard). Both software applications are included with each E-Gel® Imager System.

The E-Gel® Imager (with either the orange or red filter) can image WesternDot® secondary antibody–probed blots with sensitivity that is comparable to that observed using enhanced chemiluminescence (ECL)–based western blot detection. WesternDot® secondary antibodies incorporate Qdot® probes enhanced with VIVID® technology, which results in a brighter signal than with the previous-generation Qdot® reagents.

Western blot detection using (A) WesternDot® secondary antibodies utilizes a more streamlined protocol and results in a more stable signal compared to (B) ECL detection.

A western blot of a dilution series of Jurkat lysate (10 µg to 4 ng) was probed with an anti-GAPDH primary antibody followed by a Qdot® 625 Donkey Anti-Rabbit Secondary Antibody. The blot was imaged on the E-Gel® Imager. When compared to a duplicate western blot detected using ECL followed by imaging on the Fuji FLA-9000 image scanner, the sensitivity was comparable.